Washing Machine

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a washing machine ( 1 ) comprising a motor ( 2 ), a main card ( 3 ) that provides the electronic control and a motor card ( 4 ) that enables the motor ( 2 ) to operate according to the commands provided by the main card ( 3 ).

The present invention relates to a washing machine wherein the main cardand the motor card communicate serially.

Washing machines can be operated with a universal motor (UMAC-UMDC) or abrushless motor (Brushless DC). Universal motors can be driven by themain card of the washing machine since their electronic controls aresimple.

A separate electronic card is required to be used for the electricalcontrols of brushless motors. Data about the physical characteristicsand operating principles of the motor such as the highest cycle speed,current bound, power, belt-pulley ratio are loaded in the motor card ofthe brushless motor. Along with the data about the washing machine likethe display unit, data pertaining to the operation of the motor such asbelt-pulley ratio and washing programs are loaded in the main card. Maincard drives the motor by commanding the motor card.

Producing separate motor cards for each model employing different motorsresults in additional costs, though employing brushless motors increasesthe performance for the firms producing washing machines.

In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No JP2001070686, thepower consumption generated by the usage of a control card and a motorcard in a washing machine, brush of which is driven by the motor, ismentioned.

Another embodiment known in the state of the art is explained in theEuropean Patent Application No EP0684692. In this embodiment, compatibledriving the motor to different model washing machines is provided bychanging the position of the switches on the motor card.

In these state of the art embodiments, the control cards and motor cardsused in different model washing machines are also required to be changedduring production. Along with the compatibility and communicationproblems caused by the production of these cards different for eachmodel, financial losses occur since time and old motor cards are wasted.

The aim of the present invention is the realization of a washing machinewherein production cost is reduced.

The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the presentinvention, explicated in the first claim and the respective claimsthereof, comprises a Brushless DC motor, a main card enabling thecontrol of the functions and components and a motor card enabling theoperation of the motor in accordance with the commands (programduration, unbalanced load ratio, operation duration etc.) provided bythe main card.

Characteristic features (current bound, power, belt-pulley ratio, torquedata, the highest rotation speed etc.) related to the motor are loadedin the main card during the production phase of the washing machine. Noinformation regarding the characteristic features of the motor is loadedin the motor card and the motor card drives the motor in accordance withthe data about the characteristic features of the motor and to theoperation commands provided by the main card.

The washing machine realized in order to attain the aim of the presentinvention is illustrated in the attached figures, where:

FIG. 1—is the schematic view of a washing machine.

FIG. 2—is the flowsheet of the parameter-loading algorithm used in anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3—is the flowsheet of the data exchange algorithm between the maincard and the motor card.

FIG. 4—is the flowsheet of the diagnostic algorithm during the dataexchange.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

1. Washing Machine

2. Motor

3. Main Card

4. Motor Card

5. Communication Unit

The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises

-   -   a Brushless DC motor (2),    -   a main card (3) providing the control of the functions and        components of the washing machine (1),    -   a motor card (4) enabling the motor (2) to operate according to        the commands (program duration, unbalanced load ratio, run        duration etc.) provided by the main card (3).

Characteristic features (current bound, power, belt-pulley ratio, torquedata, the highest rotation speed etc.) related to the motor (2) areloaded in the main card (3) during the production phase of the washingmachine (1). No information regarding the characteristic features of themotor (2) is loaded in the motor card (4), the motor card (4) drives themotor (2) according to the data about the characteristic features of themotor (2) and to the operation commands provided by the main card (3).

Command units that will detect the commands coming from the main card(3) and transmit them to the motor (2) are provided on the motor card(4).

The motor (2) has different rotation speeds which are high during thespinning process and low during the washing process. The motor (2)rotation speed is determined by the values of motor (2) constant (k),angular speed, motor (2) resistor and the drawn current. The rotationspeed varying in different motors (2) is loaded in the main card (3),thus a single motor card (4) can be used in different models of washingmachines (1).

The starting torque amount required for the motor (2) to start rotatingcan vary between 10 Nm and 20 Nm in different motors (2), havingdifferent values during washing and spinning periods. By loading thestarting torque data for the motor (2) in the main card (3), a singlemotor card (4) is enabled to be used for motors (2) having differenttorques.

The clothes clung to the wall of the drum during the spinning processcreate unbalanced load. Said imbalance makes the rotational movement ofthe drum difficult. As the imbalance increases, the operation of themotor (2) gets degraded and therefore the motor draws more current.Since the data about the bound of the highest current that can be drawnduring unbalanced load are loaded in the main card (3), a single motorcard (4) is used for motors (2) having different current bound values.

By loading the characteristic features of the motor (2) such as rotationspeed, torque data and bound of the highest current that can be drawn inthe main card (3), a single motor card (4) is used for different motors(2) used in different models of the washing machine (1).

The washing machine (1) of the present invention comprises acommunication unit (5) that exchanges data diagnostically between themain card (3) and the motor card (4). The communication unit (5)provides each loaded parameter regarding the motor (2) to be sent fromthe main card (3) to the motor card (4).

The motor card (4) responds the commands provided by the main card (3)only after the loading of the parameters is completed.

The parameter loading algorithm from the main card (3) to the motor card(4) comprises the following steps (FIG. 2):

-   -   starting the algorithm by starting the washing machine (1) (200)    -   importing the characteristic features of the motor (2) from the        main card (3) by calling the parameter set regarding the motor        (2) from the memory (201)    -   sending the parameter set from the main card (3) to the motor        card (4) (202)    -   querying whether all of the parameters are loaded to the motor        card (4) or not (203)    -   sending the next parameter if the parameter loading is not yet        finished (205)    -   starting the Normal operating program if the parameter loading        is completed (206).

The data exchange method between the main card (3) and the motor card(4) comprises the following steps :

-   -   calling the parameters and commands from the memory that will be        sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4) (300)    -   querying all of the commands and parameters whether they are        sent or not (301)    -   sending the next command if the command sending is not yet        finished (302)    -   controlling the response receiving if the command sending is        finished (303)    -   proceeding with the sending the response if the response sending        is not yet finished (304)    -   returning to the first step in order to send the new command if        the response sending is completed (300) (FIG. 3).

The diagnostic method during the data exchange between the main card (3)and the motor card (4) comprises the following steps (FIG. 4):

-   -   checking errors that may occur during the data exchange (400)    -   checking the required response time to the commands in case the        given period of time (tc) is exceeded (401)    -   proceeding with the next command (402) if tc is not exceeded,        else proceeding with the step of checking the error repetition        rate (403)    -   controlling the command (300) sent from the main card (3) to the        motor card (4) whether the command has the total byte length as        required (402)    -   proceeding with the next step (404) if the command has the total        byte length as required, else proceeding with the step of        checking the error repetition rate (403)    -   checking if there are any commands other than the commands (300)        expected to be sent from the main card (3) to the motor card (4)        (404)    -   proceeding with the next step (405) if there is not any other        command, else proceeding with the step of checking the error        repetition rate (403)    -   resetting the motor card (4) if the predetermined error        repetition count goes down to zero (405)    -   realizing the command sent from the main card (3) to the motor        card (4) (406).

If the number of resets of the motor card (4) exceeds the predeterminednumber, the user is warned and the washing machine (1) is shut down. Bymeans of the communication unit (5) exchanging diagnostic data of thepresent invention, the motor (2) is prevented from malfunctioning andthe user safety is provided.

The motor card (4) used in the washing machine (1) of the presentinvention is compatible for operating with the structure of the washingmachine (1) in different models since no data parameter is previouslyloaded in the motor card (4). Thus the model of the washing machine (1)can be produced only by changing the main card (3) and without therequirement of any other compatibility testing.

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A washing machine comprising: a brushless DC motor; amain card providing control of a plurality of functions and componentsof the washing machine; a motor card enabling the motor to operateaccording to a plurality of commands provided by the main card;characterized by a plurality of characteristic features about the motorare loaded in the main card during production of the washing machine,and the plurality of characteristic features related to the motor do notappear on the motor card during production and the motor card drives themotor according to the plurality of characteristic features andoperational commands sent from the main card.
 9. The washing machineaccording to claim 8, wherein the motor card responds to the pluralityof commands coming from the main card only after a loading of parameterscontaining the features of the motor is finished.
 10. The washingmachine according to claim 8, wherein rotation speed data of the motorduring washing and spinning periods are among the plurality ofcharacteristic features of the motor that are loaded on the main card.11. The washing machine according to claim 9, wherein rotation speeddata of the motor during washing and spinning periods are among theplurality of characteristic features of the motor that are loaded on themain card.
 12. The washing machine accordingly to claim 8, whereintorque data required for the motor to start are among the characteristicfeatures of the motor that are loaded on the main card.
 13. The washingmachine according to claim 8, wherein data about a bound of a highestcurrent that the motor can draw when an unbalanced load occurs duringspinning are among the characteristic features of the motor that areloaded on the main card.
 14. The washing machine according to claim 8,further comprising a communication unit that provides data exchange withdiagnostics between the main card and the motor card.
 15. The washingmachine according to claim 8, wherein the motor card is reset and startsreoperation when an error is found as a result of a total length ofcommands control and of a sequential communication check.